Hand starting device for internal-combustion engines



Dec. 4 1923.

J. A. DOWNHAM HAND STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGI-NES Filed July 11, 1 922 vvvvml 2 Sheets Sfieet 1 FiQ.L

- W AI 1 Dec." 4 T9231 1,476,497

J. A. DOWNHAM I HAND STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 11, 1922 2 Sheets -She at 2 Patented Bee. 4, 1923.

JAMES ARTHUR DOVTNHAM, OF HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND.

eATEN'r oral-cs.

HAND STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-CORIEUSTION ENG]:HES.

Application filed July 11,

1 0 all to 7mm it may concern:

HAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in Huddersfield, in the county of York and Kingdom f En land, have invented certain new and useful Improved Hand Starting Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification,

The present invention relates to an improved starting device for internal combustion engines of the type in which means are provided to avoid back fires of'the engine being communicated to the starting crank.

According to the present invention the elements of an epicyclic gear are inserted between the engine shaft and the starting crank, and a free wheel clutch is mounted between the floating element of the epicyclic: gear and the sun wheel, so that when the hand crank is being operated the whole gear will rotate as a solid element, and should the engine shaft rotate in a contrary direction, then the epicyclic gear elements will rotate round the sun wheel.

A preferred form of construction is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation.

Figure 2 is a corresponding front view partly in section on the line A B of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a modification on the line C D of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a corresponding end sectional view on the line E F of Figure- 3.

Figure 5 is a pant sectional front, view.

The shaft 1, is provided which may be of usual form to the usual starting handle crank shaft of the engine, that is to say that it is normally detached from the engine but can he slid axially to engage therewith by a one way claw coupling.

Qn this shaft 1, a sleeve 2, rotates freely which however can be locked with the shaft 1, by inserting a shaft or pin in the perforation 3, when it is desired to disconnect the whole of the safety starting mechanism drives through the sleeve 2.

A starting crank handle 4, is securely mounted on the sleeve 2, which also carries mounted radially on it a ring 5, carrying a plurality of pawls 6, engaging ratchet teeth on a disc 7, secured by studs to the casing 8. The casing 8, may be secured to rigid part of the automobile, but it is preferred to allow it a degree of rotation about its centre Be it known that 1, JAMES ARTHUR DowN- 1922. Serial No. 574,221.

against springs 9, to thereby absorb any a shock.

The sleeve also has mounted on it, a sun wheel 10, meshing with planetary wheel 11,

on a pin 12, sliding freely through the cage 13, which cage has ratchet teeth out in it similar to the teeth on the disc; 7, to co-opeirate with pawls 14:, working in opposite sense to the p-awls 6, these pawls being carried by a ring 15, also securing on the sleeve 2.

Onthe outer end of the spindles 12, a second set of sun pinions 16, may be provided keyed thereon, or as shown, mounted on a screw threading so that they will be able to rotate on the spindle 12, through a very limited angular are before looking up against the face of the cage 13.

These pinions 16, are in constant mesh with the sun wheel 18, keyed permanently on the shaft 1.

Now it will be seen that under normal starting conditions when the crank 1 is rotated, the epicyclic trains of wheel 10, 11, 16, and 18 will lock rigidly and consequently the shaft 1, can be rotated. Should however, the engine backfire, the cage 13 will be caused. to rotate freely round the central axis so that the sleeve 2, will not partake in the forward rotation due to the overrunning of the pawls.

The wheel 16, is allowed a certain amount 4 of angular free movement to avoid any shock and [to further avoid the possibility of the ratchets over-running when the crank handle 4, is given a jerk instead of'a constant thrust.

In a modified form of construction with reference to Figures 3' to 5 a startinghandle 19 is mounted on a sleeve 20 which has a pin 21 passing through a cam slot 22 under a sleeve 23 which has a feathered groove in it engaging with a keyway 24 secured to the casing 25. This sleeve'23 has ratchet teeth 26 on it engaging with pawls 27 on the inside periphery of a pinion 2 8.v Italso carries a'friction ring29 adapted to engage with the internal surface of the casing 25 when the handle 19 is turned in a clockwise direction thusmoving the sleeve 23 axially along the keyway 24. v

The pinion 28 meshes with a pinion 30, on a spindle 31 carried by the casing 25 and this pinion'in turn meshes with apinion 32 on a spindle 33, which pinion 32 inturn meshes with a pinion 34 keyed to an extension 35 oi the engine shaft 36. The purpose tension 37 with pawls 38' engaging; internal,

ratchet teeth 39 on a ball-bearing ring having arms 40 provided with torque springsll attached to any fixed part of the automobile vehicle}. the same manner as that of Figure 1, that is tosay that a positivecrankingofthe engine isobtainable inaclockwise direction, but any. r-everserotationof the-shaft 36 merely causesa rotation of the epicyclictrain' about the sleeve 20.

I" declare that what I claim is 1'-. A safety starting mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a shaft connected to they engine, a starting crank, a sleeve axially revoluble on said shaft", a cage fr-eelyrotatable in one direction, a trainof epicyclic Wheels connecting said cage and said sleeve, a second train' The device functions inof epicyclic wheels connecting said cage and said shaft, means to restrict the motion of said-cage in one-direction and means to prevent the rotating of said sleeve in the opposite direction.v

2. A safety starting mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a shaft connected to the engine, a starting crank, a sleeve axially'revoluble thereon, a cage free- 1y rotatable in one direction, a train of epicyclic Wheels connecting said sleeve and said cage, a second train of' epicyclic Wheels connecting said cage and said shaft means to restrict the motion of said cage in one direct-ion, means to prevent therotating of said sleeve in the opposite direction, and

means to hold said sleeve from, rotation;

in witnesswhereof, I have hereunto signed 

